England's most recent former captain spent a page in London's Sunday Times attempting to balance the brilliance of Pietersen as a player with the difficulty of dealing with him as a person

"Genius or narcissist? Or both?" Strauss began, answering his own question by confirming as much as he carefully picked his way through the minefield that is Pietersen.

"He could easily be called England's greatest ever player as well as the most disruptive," Strauss continued. "In short, he is a man full of complexities that even those who know him best would struggle to unravel."

It is fitting that Pietersen is spelt with an "I". His teammates tolerate him because they know that winning the Ashes without him would be far more difficult.

With Pietersen struggling to move beyond the mirror, his perception of the wider world is so limited that his motives shone through as totally self-centred.

His extended dummy spit over not being allowed to pick and choose which games he would play for England so he could make an even larger fortune in the IPL led to the extraordinary suspension of England's best cricketer.

After a brilliant 149 against South Africa at Headingley almost a year ago, Pietersen brought the saga to a head by claiming "it's not easy being me playing for England" and said the next Test at Lord's could be his last.

Ashes Countdown

Those confused by the Englishman's strong South Africa accent would have been forgiven for thinking that Pietersen had declared himself a Muppet, which seems entirely appropriate. After all, it was Kermit the Frog who told us it's not easy being green.

It turned out that Pietersen wasn't envious, just annoyed, but not nearly as annoyed as his teammates and the hierarchy, led by coach Andy Flower.

The last straw was the revelation that Pietersen had sent derogatory texts to his South Africa opponents about Strauss, a lack of loyalty which hurt the England captain deeply.

Pietersen was given some enforced thinking time.

England's "reintegration" process was almost as embarrassing as Pietersen's disintegration, with public apologies as unconvincing as the bizarre YouTube video he put out just before his suspension in which he recanted his claims and professed a love for England.

It was the verbal equivalent of Canadian tennis-player-turned-Brit Greg Rusedski waving the Union Jack.

While Pietersen's public utterances were stereotypically farcical off the field, he was typically brilliant on it.

In his second Test back from suspension after being a late inclusion in the touring party for India, Pietersen was a tour de force, defying India on a spinning pitch to score 186, an innings described by those who saw it as his finest.

It turned the series on its head after England had lost the first Test and they went on to win the series 2-1.

Pietersen has always had a problem with dressing rooms in England.

Jason Gallian, the captain at his first county, Nottinghamshire, the venue for the first Test, became so annoyed with Pietersen he threw the recently arrived South African's gear off the dressing room balcony.

Apparently Pietersen had told the former Australian under-19 captain the pitch wasn't up to his standard and he wanted to leave. Pietersen had a similarly difficult relationship with Notts coach Mick Newell, who believes it is a matter of when, not if, Pietersen will have another dressing room meltdown.

Strauss finished by issuing Australia a warning but, as always with Pietersen, there are provisos. “If he intends to prove his commitment to English cricket over the next six months, then Australia had better look out," Strauss said.

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